Michael Jordan Quotes

I would never play an extra year for money. I play the game because I love it. I just so happen to get paid. If I don't feel I still enjoy the game, I can care less what a year is worth. I'm not going to play the game just because of money.

I'm not a Twitterer, I'm not a twerker, I'm not a Facebooker, I'm not nothing. I'm old school.

If you are confident you have done everything possible to prepare yourself, then there is nothing to fear.

I viewed it as a business, but I always viewed it as a game. An opportunity to show my skills, my basketball skills, amongst the best in the world.

My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn't stand the sideline.

Anyone who would argue that this third-generatio n MDX is an SUV might as well belong to the Flat Earth Society. The 2014 Acura MDX is the perfect expression of the modern car - capable, spacious, and friendly to drive.

Success isn't something you chase. It's something you have to put forth the effort for constantly. Then maybe it'll come when you least expect it. Most people don't understand that.

If I have an agenda or a goal, no one is going to deter me from what I want to do.

Because I want every kid to be viewed as a person rather than as a member of a certain race does not mean that I'm not black enough ... Do they want me to be positive just for black kids and negative for everybody else?

The minute you get away from fundamentals – whether its proper technique, work ethic or mental preparation – the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you're doing.

When I was playing before I retired, I never really understood the appreciation and the respect that people gave me. People had treated me like a god or something, and that was very embarrassing.

In reality, I never want to grow up.

The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.

I can handle failing, but I can't handle not trying".

A coach is someone that sees beyond your limits and guides you to greatness!

I'm not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.

I dont take pictures with Niggas

If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.

I basically expect anything. Isn't that wild? I used to surprise myself a lot: certain moves, how I'd get out of trouble. But at some point, you accept the talent that you have, you accept your creativity.

Everybody has talent, but ability takes hard work.

I'm a firm believer in goal setting. Step by step. I can't see any other way of accomplishing anything.

It's absolutely wrong that I don't want guys to challenge me. And the people who say that aren't in the room.

The greatest people that ever lived were also the greatest failures. They just didn't let those failures affect them like they do most.

I want to play for years.

I can appect failure, but I cannot accept not trying.

I never feared about my skills because I put in the work. Work ethic eliminates fear. So if you put forth the work, what are you fearing? You know what you're capable of doing and what you're not.

If you quit ONCE it becomes a habit.Never quit!!!

I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.

I went to a bookstore to try to find a book. The bottom line is, it all comes by trial and error. It was scary and exciting at first you don't know what to expect. But once you look into your child's eyes, you forget about that.

I want to wake up every day and do whatever comes in my mind, and not feel pressure or obligations to do anything else in my life.

Being afraid on the court, means you're not confident of your skills

It's hard to say if the NBA is hurt by the influx of younger players, but it's definitely impacted the league.

Enjoy every minute of life. Never second-guess life.

I would tell players to relax and never think about what's at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you've lost your focus.

A loss is not a failure until you make an excuse.

I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying

I realized that if I was going to achieve anything in life I had to be aggressive. I had to get out there and go for it ... I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it's an illusion to me.

I was aware of my success, but I never stopped trying to get better,

I can never stop working hard. Each day I feel that I have to improve. Hardwork ... Determination ... I gotta keep pushing myself.

I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.

I smoked my first cigar in 1991, when we won the championship. Up to that point, I had never smoked a cigar, never smoked anything.

Don't be like me. Be better than me. That's the goal.

The key to success is failure

You're an idiot. You've screwed up every play we ever ran. You're too stupid to even remember the plays. We ought to get rid of you.

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, and others make it happen.

Basketball isn't my job.

It is nerve-wracking watching my kids' games.

Sometimes you need to get hit in the head to realize that you're in a fight.

If you do the work you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.

I don't know about flying, but sometimes it feels like I have these little wings on my feet.

Failure I can accept, what I can not accept is not trying

Every time I feel tired while I am exercising and training, I close my eyes to see that picture, to see that list with my name. This usually motivates me to work again.

Sometimes I wonder what it will be like to look back on all this. Whether it will seem real.

I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot ... when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.

I've never lost a game I just ran out of time.

I know what I would do if I were coach. I'd determine our strengths and weaknesses and utilize them. And it's pretty clear what our strength is.

Isn't (life) all about trying?

I'm retired 99.9%. Of course, there always is that .1%.

As athletes, we're used to reacting quickly. Here, it's 'come, stop, come, stop.' There's a lot of downtime. That's the toughest part of the day.

I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

I won't have any competitive instincts in any sports, other than golf. I can't see being competitive in sports any more.

Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again.

I just feel that my competitive drive is far greater than anyone else that I've met, and I think that I thrive on that.

There was never any fear for me, no fear of failure. If I miss a shot, so what?

The good part about being famous is being able to help people. The hard part is every day you have to be in a good mood, because that is what people expect. You learn to get good at it.

I'd take 12 guys who had a strong passion for the game over 12 guys who don't respect the game.

Earn your leadership every day.

Sometimes a winner is just a dreamer who never gave up.

My fellow Wilmington, North Carolina native Meadowlark Lemon is a true national treasure. I watched him play for the Harlem Globetrotters when I was growing up and his skill with the basketball and dedication to the game were an inspiration not only to me, but to kids all around the world.

Life is a sport ... drink it up.

I built my talents on the shoulders of someone else's talent.

I set another goal ... a reasonable, manageable goal that I could realistically achieve if I worked hard enough. I approached everything step by step.

You remember what you said in 1994 about, 'I think I can guard you, I can shut you down, I would love to play against you?' Well, you're about to get your chance.

When I step onto the court, I'm ready to play. If you're going up against me, you'd better be ready. If you're not going to compete, I will dominate you.

Authenticity is about being true to who you are, even when everyone around you wants you to be someone else

I am competing with what I am capable of.

I didn't come here to be average.

I failed over and over and over and that is why I succeed.

If nobody will help you, do it alone! There is no 'i' in team, but there is '1' in WIN!

There have been times when I have failed. But there have never been times when I thought I would fail

Why would I think about missing a shot that I haven't taken yet?

My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.

Since I've been in chiropractic, I've improved by leaps and bounds both mentally and physically.

When I worked on my game, that's what I thought about. When it happened, I set another goal, a reasonable, manageable goal that I could realistically achieve if I worked hard enough. I guess I approached it with the end in mind. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, and I focused on getting there.

A leader can't make excuses. There has to be quality in everything you do. Off the court, on the court, in the classroom.

I never thought a role model should be negative.

I have failed many times, but I have never gone into a game expecting myself to fail.

You have competition every day because you set such high standards for yourself that you have to go out every day and live up to that.

I truly love the game; I wouldn't be playing if I didn't love the game. I'm not getting paid astronomical dollars; it's truly for the love of the game of basketball.

Not every flying hero has a cape.

Once I get the ball, you're at my mercy. There is nothing you can say or do about it. I own the ball.

People can fly. Some people fly higher than others, that's all.

Suddenly all is quiet. The other nine players? They're all moving in slow motion! I'm at normal speed! I know where everyone's going even before they know themselves. The basket is huge, maybe six feet across! How can I miss? It's like throwing a rock into a pond.

I took cooking classes when I was younger; girls weren't interested in me, and I thought I may be alone for the rest of my life.

To learn to succeed, you must first learn to fail.

Being Michael Jordan means acting the same as I always have.

If you don't back it up with performance and hard work, talking doesn't mean a thing.

The best evaluation I can make of a player is to look in his eyes and see how scared they are.

I make shoes for white suburban kids, not the poor black kids. That would be like opening a restaurant for people without stomachs.